Judge OKs $46 In Damages To EchoStar,|Not The $95 Million It Requested

LOS ANGELES (CN) - EchoStar, the nation's second-largest satellite TV group, deserves $45.69 in damages from an ally of DirecTV - not the $95 million it requested, a federal judge ruled. EchoStar dba Dish Network, sued NDS Group, which provides encryption and de-encryption services for DirecTV.

NDS hired a sophisticated hacker who learned his skills in the Army to help it combat signal piracy. The reformed pirate, Christopher Tarnovsky, apparently gained access to the EchoStar system and demonstrated to his new bosses how hackers did it. EchoStar demanded damages of $94.6 million, but U.S. District Judge David Carter finds NDS liable only for the cost of a subscription.

The 16-page ruling contains details of computer operations in the gray world between hackers and security experts.

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